an Overtourism The protesters Spainthis summer, Italy, France, and Portugal. Elena Boski said the protest groups hope that tourists are afraid of backlash against rising tourist numbers among locals. She said mirror“We want tourists to have some fear about the situation. Don't be afraid, there's no change.”
Ms Boski, 46, from Genoa, ItalyAdded: “Our cities and regions are not for sale, and there is an urgent need to limit tourism growth, of course demand change and determine the path to tourism degrowth as a way to leave,” fellow activist Daniel Pardo said demonstrations of publications at the airport could be. He added: “It's hard to say because each area decides how you want to take action. There's no strategy.”
Spain will host marches in Mallorca and Ibiza's Balearic Islands, as well as Barcelona, the mainland.
The campaigners were speaking at a three-day meeting of protesters from groups in Southern Europe.
They are seeking the end of “looting tourism,” where locals claim that they cannot afford to buy or rent property at holiday hotspots and cannot damage the environment.
While some protesters wanted to scare tourists, others were enthusiastic about saying they weren't opposed to visitors, cities and regions are no longer good places to live when locals overrun.
One of the summits said that people who don't want to name must consider how it feels when it's happening in their hometown.
They added: “We're not interested in scaring anyone, just keep in mind the impact tourism has on the community.”
According to EuroStat, the number of tourists in the European Union increased by 2.99 billion last year, and 53.4 million in 2023. The rise was primarily explained by international travelers.
The numbers plummeted when the coronavirus stopped tourism. However, tourism has skyrocketed since restrictions were relaxed.
However, the tourism industry is welcoming tourists' return, but locals from holiday hotspots such as the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and Barcelona have taken them to the streets in protest.
According to a local tenant union, more than 150,000 protesters joined the march in Madrid this month, with Majong Capitan Palma watching more than 50,000 participating demonstrations warning that “Majong is not on sale.”
Some destinations either levied tourist taxes or began charging day tripper entries. This includes Venice, which collects arrival tax.
Visitors who download the QR code at least three days ago will pay more than £4 (5 euros) for the same fee that was charged when the scheme was piloted last year. Those planning to enter the historic canal city at the last minute must pay twice as much.
Venice won just £2 million (EUR 2.4 million) during its pilot program in 2024, but the running cost of the new system reached £2.3 million (EUR 2.7 million).
Tourism officials are forecasting a surplus of around £856,000 to £1.3 million (1 million to €1.5 million) this year. This is used to offset the costs of Venetian bin collections and other services.
